Washington
Washington state bill could change how rural communities can close a library
FILE: The Columbia County Library in Dayton, Wash., last summer.
Courtney Flatt / Northwest News Network
After a rural library district was at risk of being dissolved last year, Washington senators voted 49-0 on a bill to improve the process that could close libraries. The measure also would not leave people out of the dissolution process.
For more than a year, some people called books at a library in southeastern Washington “pornographic and offensive.” Dayton library leaders refused to remove the books, so frustrated residents tried to dissolve the Columbia County Rural Library District by trying to take it to voters.
However, only certain county residents would have been allowed to vote — not people in Dayton proper, where the library sits just off Main Street. Superior Court Commissioner Julie Karl temporarily banned the measure from being placed on the November 2023 ballot and later struck the measure from the ballot.
The voting conundrum was what bill sponsor Sen. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, called a glitch in the system.
Washington senators debated Engrossed Senate Bill 5824 that would allow all voters serviced by rural library districts to have their say on this type of ballot measure, not just active voters outside city limits. It also would raise the number of eligible voters’ signatures on petitions before issues like this make it to the ballot.
Lawmakers debated the bill on the Senate floor.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a library district close in this state, and hopefully we won’t ever have one. This will streamline the process,” Hunt said.
Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, proposed an amendment to the bill to lower the voter signature requirements to 25%, down from Hunt’s original proposal of 35%, a change from 100 taxpayers signatures
“In other words not to have the bar too high or too low in order to initiate the petition process,” Wilson said during a Senate floor debate. “What I seek with this amendment is to spur the healthiest of conversations, ballot discussions, petition discussions, to bring the community out.”
After the Democratic caucus agreed to what Hunt called a reasonable amendment, the bill passed out of the Senate chamber with a 49-0 vote. It now heads to the state House.
“It’s a narrow bill with two focuses. It has nothing to do with the content of the books,” said Elise Severe in an interview. Severe is chair of the local political action committee Neighbors United for Progress, which has fought the library dissolution.
In an earlier hearing, testifier Eric Pratt asked lawmakers to think hard about legislation brought about by an issue in a small community but would affect the entire state.
“We’ve really got to take a pause and ensure that any decisions we make that are broad-reaching in scope, as this bill is for other library districts, aren’t unduly burdensome on those communities,” Pratt said at the earlier hearing.
At that hearing, 21 people registered to support the bill, 18 people did not support it, and Pratt signed in as “other.”
One supporter, Carolyn Logue, with the Washington Library Association, said the bill would help everyone who would be affected by this type of measure be able to cast a vote.
“Libraries are a key part of our democracy, providing access to information and resources that often is not available to the average person in a community,” Logue said.
DE Dawuane Smoot, LB Foyesade Oluokun, TE Brenton Strange, S Eric Murray, and S Antonio Johnson speak with the media after practice on Thursday ahead of the Wild Card Matchup vs. Bills.
0:00 – 2:28 – DE Dawuane Smoot
2:29 – 6:24 – LB Foyesade Oluokun
6:25 – 9:25 – TE Brenton Strange
9:26 – 11:32 – S Eric Murray
11:33 – 13:46 – S Antonio Johnson
DUBAI, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Iran warned President Donald Trump on Sunday that any U.S. attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional U.S. military bases as “legitimate targets”, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament.
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Washington
Washington National Opera cuts ties with the Kennedy Center after longstanding partnership | CNN Politics
The Washington National Opera on Friday announced it is parting ways with the Kennedy Center after more than a decade with the arts institution.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera said in a statement.
The decoupling marks another high-profile withdrawal since President Donald Trump and his newly installed board of trustees instituted broad thematic and cosmetic changes to the building, including renaming the facility “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The opera said it plans to “reduce its spring season and relocate performances to new venues.”
A source familiar with the dynamic told CNN the decision to part ways was made by the opera’s board and its leadership, and that the decision was not mutual.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center said in a statement, “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship. We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.”
Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell, who was appointed by Trump’s hand-picked board, said on X, “Having an exclusive relationship has been extremely expensive and limiting in choice and variety.”
Grenell added, “Having an exclusive Opera was just not financially smart. And our patrons clearly wanted a refresh.”
Since taking the reins at the center, Grenell has cut existing staff, hired political allies and mandated a “break-even policy” for every performance.
The opera said the new policy was a factor in its decision to leave the center.
“The Center’s new business model requires productions to be fully funded in advance—a requirement incompatible with opera operations,” the opera said.
Francesca Zambello, the opera’s artistic director, said she is “deeply saddened to leave The Kennedy Center.”
“In the coming years, as we explore new venues and new ways of performing, WNO remains committed to its mission and artistic vision,” she said.
The New York Times first reported the opera’s departure.
Founded in 1956 as the “Opera Society of Washington,” the group has performed across the district, taking permanent residency in the Kennedy Center in 2011.
The performing arts center has been hit with a string of abrupt cancellations from artists in recent weeks including the jazz group The Cookers and New York City-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers who canceled their performances after Trump’s name was added to the center – a living memorial for assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
The American College Theater Festival voted to suspend its relationship with the Kennedy Center, calling the affiliation “no longer viable” and citing concerns over a misalignment of the group’s values.
American banjo player Béla Fleck withdrew his upcoming performance with the National Symphony Orchestra, saying that performing at the center has become “charged and political.”
The Brentano String Quartet, who canceled their February 1 performance at the Kennedy Center, said they will “regretfully forego performing there.”
CNN has reached out to the Kennedy Center on the additional cancellations.
The opera said, “The Board and management of the company wish the Center well in its own future endeavors.”
CNN’s Betsy Klein and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.
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